Pictured: Mansfield distance runners pose for a photo atop the recreation equipment located at Booneville’s City Park adjacent to the town’s Veterans Memorial. From left to right Josiah Fildes, Leland Powell, Darby Jones, McKenzie Griffin, Hope Rainwater, Gunner Williams, and Ashton Hinkle totaled 33 miles along the Booneville running trails.
Small numbers have been producing big results. Despite fluctuating attendance through the first three weeks of pre-season training, Mansfield long-distance runners have produced nearly 600 miles of collective training.
Members of the Mansfield cross country team went to work as a group on Monday, July 12. Through Thursday, July 29 the collective miles for the group have been recorded for a total of 595.4 miles.
The team meets for group running sessions three to four nights a week. Of the total eleven practices that the members have gathered for so far, two practices have revolved around specialty trips to unique locations.
The most recent specialty trip occurred last Wednesday. Only a portion of the total group was able to attend the run that took them around the Veterans Park in Booneville. Similar to the previous week’s destination trip to a Fort Smith Historic Site, dual sports conflicts, and other commitments reduced the participating runners.
The players that did make the Booneville trip enjoyed the opportunity to navigate a scenic 1.59 mile loop around the town’s Veterans Memorial. The course was linked to the walking trail that intersects the Booneville Parks and Recreation Activities Area.
Serving as the lead runners for two different running packs at the Booneville location were seniors Darby Jones and McKenzie Griffin. Jones took the more experienced runners for a faster-paced run while Griffin stayed close to the more inexperienced junior high group.
The pair have been putting up quality numbers for most of the summer even before team workouts began. Since the team practices started, Griffin has totaled the most distance at 98.75 miles. Jones is a close second with 74.1 miles.
Ashton Hinkle leads the senior high boys with 63.3 total miles over 10 practices. Leland Powell, a freshman first-time distance racer, has accumulated 23 miles over just 7 practices for the junior boys. Joseph Carter, a returning member of the 2020 junior boys conference championship, has collected 21.5 miles juggling training days with summer basketball and football workouts.
Trinity Triska and Laney Wood, both of whom split time with volleyball, have logged the most miles for the junior girls. Respectively the two have 32 and 30 total miles through limited pre-season workouts.
Mansfield’s cross country unit hopes to increase their number of miles by at least another 200 miles by the end of their fourth week of pre-season. Another specialty trip is planned at the end of that training period.
According to their schedule, the upcoming adventure trip will end near a water park allowing the hard-working runners some quick relief from the rising temperatures.
